It's nice to have so much content available again after the media drought brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, when production ceased on so many projects. With all of the blockbusters being released in theaters, it can be easy to forget about the films still going straight to streaming platforms. Disney+'s newest installment in the Ice Age franchise, Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild, is sure to be a movie families won't want to miss. Ice Age was arguably Blue Sky's most successful animated film, with the first movie making almost $400 million at the world-wide box office according to Box Office Mojo. It's not surprising that Disney would want to bring it back, first developing it as a series before deciding it would make a better feature.
For those unfamiliar with the Ice Age franchise, the cartoon centers around Sid the sloth (played by John Leguizamo), Mannie the mammoth (Ray Romano) and Diego the Smilodon, or saber-toothed tiger (Dennis Leary). Although these animals are natural enemies, fate, life-threatening events and a human child bring them together; as the series progressed over the years, these three stuck together and grew their 'herd' with new friends and family. The once small group now has a larger team that's saved the world from extinction on more than one occasion. Here is everything you need to know about Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild before embarking on the franchise's newest adventure.
Release Date
The movie is set to release on Jan. 28, 2022. Disney+ still officially says the film will be released at the end of the month despite rumors circulating around internet that the movie may be delayed until March. The animation in the trailer does look unpolished compared to some other Disney animations, but a timely release is still in keeping with Disney's pattern of pushing more content straight to their platform.
Plot
This movie seems to pick up close to where Ice Age: Collision Course left off in 2016. According to the plot synopsis on Disney's official website, Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild focuses on Crash and Eddie wanting space from their older sister, Ellie. Early in the film, the brothers fall through the ice and become trapped in a cave in the lost world. Determined to strike it out on their own, the possums find themselves embarking on an adventure bigger than they ever expected.
The Ice Age herd visited the lost world in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, exploring the world under the Earth's crust, which hosts dinosaurs and all kinds of creatures from the Prehistoric Era. In the new trailer, Buck Wild calls it "the world's most dangerous place." Buck, a friend from their previous visit, quickly rescues Crash and Eddie, and the three of them team up to fight off and survive in the perils of the Lost World. Complete with new villains and the humor the franchise is known for, this movie looks like it will entertain new and old fans alike.
Characters
The plot seems to focus primarily on Buck, a fan favorite since his hilarious debut in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Buck is a weasel with an eye for adventure; literally, just one eye, since he lost the other to Rudy the dinosaur. Buck helped the Ice Age herd fight off Rudy and other threats in Dawn of the Dinosaurs and reappeared in Ice Age: Collision Course to help save the world from extinction. It is no surprise that he has come back in this film both to save the possums and to reignite the franchise.
Crash and Eddie first appeared in Ice Age: The Meltdown, and these possums are rarely separated from each other. Ellie's brothers are both protective and prone to self-inflicted misfortune. The duo has brought comic relief and heartfelt earnestness to their team for a long time, but they seem to take center stage in this movie. Crash and Eddie could be the perfect companions for Buck, who has been alone most of his life.
The chance to explore the lost world further in this film also brings the chance to explore new characters. The newest trailer highlighted several unfriendly dinosaurs and monsters. We are not sure what these beasts' personalities are like, but we do know that they look at Crash and Eddie like fun-sized snacks. Hopefully, Buck will keep these monsters in check, but not before we get the chance to know them a little better.
Cast
Simon Pegg is returning to play Buck, the one-eyed weasel from below the ice. Pegg is known for the witty humor he brings to action blockbusters like Mission Impossible and Star Trek, and is the perfect fit for Buck's clumsily heroic character. The comedy he brought to the role in previous movies is part of what made Buck Wild an intresting charachter in the first place. Vincent Tong and Aaron Harris will replace the original voice actors for Crash and Eddie. Tong is a seasoned voice actor with experience working in productions like Ninjago and The Dragon Prince. On the other hand, Harris seems relatively new to the voice acting scene.
Utkarsh Ambudkar is also cast as Orson in this film, but we still don't know very much about his character. Ambudkar is known for his previous work in Brittany Runs a Marathon and Free Guy. Similarly, Zee the sloth has not come on screen much since Ice Age: The Meltdown. However, Disney+ credits Justina Machoab reappearing in this role. We still haven't heard anything about Machoab's role, and she does not appear in the trailer, but if they are bringing back the actress we can be sure it is for something special. Maybe Sid the sloth will finally find love after all this time, or perhaps our characters will get the chance to confront some past mistakes. Either way, the new Ice Age film seems like an adventure, indeed.